Sporting KC drawn in Group B of Disney Pro Soccer Classic

Sporting Kansas City will compete in Group B at the 2014 Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic alongside reigning Supporters' Shield winners New York Red Bulls, 2013 MLS Cup Playoffs participants Montreal Impact and Brazil's Fluminense FC U23. The annual pre-season tournament will be held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Kissimmee, Fla. from Feb. 19 thru March 1.

Group A consist of Sporting Kansas City's USL PRO affiliate Orlando City SC along with MLS teams Philadelphia Union, Columbus Crew and Toronto FC. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000, and travel packages can be secured through GetTravel.com.

“(This is) one of our strongest fields in the five-year history of Pro Soccer Classic,’’ said Disney Sports Director of Sports Development Mike Millay. “ We have always looked to strengthen the tournament year after year and with our world class facility and event management staff we feel this event will give the teams a unique training camp experience that hopefully will launch them toward successful seasons."

Sporting Kansas City will arrive in Central Florida on Feb. 14 for two weeks of pre-season training and competition, highlighted by the team's participation in the Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic. Sporting KC returns to the tournament for the third straight year, this time fresh off its MLS Cup championship over Real Salt Lake.

“Pre-season is an extremely important time for us, especially this year as we enter the quarterfinals of Champions League in March and look to defend our MLS Cup title,” Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes said. “Playing in highly-competitive games in the Pro Soccer Classic and in the tremendous facilities at the Walt Disney World Resort offers us the perfect environment to prepare for our season. Our experience the last two years in Florida has been top-notch.”

Sporting Kansas City will also conduct of a portion of the club's 2014 pre-season schedule in Tucson, Ariz. from Jan. 24 - Feb. 8. The team will face the Portland Timbers at 6 p.m. MT on Feb. 1 at North Stadium at Kino Sports Complex with two additional exhibition matches to be announced this Wednesday.